


Back to the Future (Sequel to Labor of Love)

by FireflySummerwynd



Category: Poison (US Band)
Genre: F/M, Time Travel
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-29
Updated: 2020-08-30
Packaged: 2021-03-06 14:27:28
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 9,355
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26170396
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FireflySummerwynd/pseuds/FireflySummerwynd
Summary: Two Years after all the Time Travel that led to him winding up a married man, everything's simultaneously gotten exponentially better and fallen apart for Poison bassist Bobby Dall. At least his Witch of a wife and would-be brother-in-law have pretty much acclimated to Life in the twentieth Century.Can he keep it together through rebuilding his band with help from an unexpected source on top of being the father of a young child? Or will Bobby be left Wishing that he'd stayed in the Past, rather than coming back to the Future?
Relationships: Bobby Dall/Marissa Stanton-Dall
Comments: 2





	1. One

_October, 1991_

_West Palm Beach, Florida_

A soft, but mischievous giggle drew twenty-seven-Year-old Bobby Dall from the depths of sleep quicker than feeling something move on his bed. His subconscious recognized that giggle all too well, and he knew without even opening his eyes that he was about to get pounced on. Not by the young woman he’d married right at two Years ago after some seriously trippy shit went down, nor by the friend who’d been so unexpected. Both of them were no doubt nearby, but it was unlikely that either of them were about to belly-flop on him where he lay sprawled out on his back.

Sure enough, he wasn’t disappointed in feeling a rump bounce on his belly, that rump’s owner letting out a squeal. He let out an _Oof!_ as he pretended that he’d still been asleep till the bouncing started, something he was known for doing. More squeals rang out as he reached up to tickle that bouncing rump’s owner in retaliation for such a wake-up call. There was no way he could stay mad at his ten-month-old son for long, no matter how he tried.

“Where’s Mama, chu lil punk?” the bassist asked, managing to sit up after pushing his son into his lap.

The lil boy–who’d been named Zeppelin and was usually called Zep–squealed around his paci again and glanced toward the master bedroom door.

_“Ohhhh,_ so Mama’s tryna be sneaky again, huh?” he chuckled.

“Nah, that’d be Uncle Richie’s department today.”

Laughing as he looked toward his bedroom door, Bobby saw the young man who’d once been his wife’s neighbor and was still living with them. “Put up to it by said mama, no doubt.”

“Hey, you’ve said it before–happy wife, happy Life,” the younger brunette chuckled as he moved to pluck the baby off him.

“She’s not _your_ wife, though!” he retorted with a laugh.

“She might as well be,” Richie shot back with a grin. “And I’m not gonna tempt Fate with a hormonal woman wielding a spatula and demanding her husband’s presence for breakfast again.”

“All right, all right,” the bassist said. “Tell her I’m getting clothes on and _not_ giving her yet another messta clean up. ”

“Yea, yea, Cap’n,” he agreed with a salute before turning to head out with Zep riding on his hip.

Once the double doors that cut the master suite off from the rest of the house were closed, Bobby tossed the covers off himself. He’d only waited till the younger brunette and his son were gone to do so ’cuz he almost always slept nude. After all, it tended to stay pretty warm in South Florida–even during the Winter–and there was only so much Air conditioning could do. That didn’t mean he wanted anyone but his wife seeing him in all his nude Glory, though, or he wouldn’t have waited.

As he walked into the master bathroom that still blew said wife’s mind, he couldn’t help the sleepy smile that curved his lips. It’d been two Years since the Time Travel that’d taken him to the nineteenth Century, then brought him back to the twentieth Century with a couple tag-alongs. Ever since then, Marissa’d come a long way in getting acclimated to her new Lifestyle, and he couldn’t have been more proud.

Granted, finding out she was pregnant in March of the Year previous’d been a bit of a surprise for them. They hadn’t been expecting such a thing since they’d combined the use of rubbers with those supposedly pregnancy-preventing herbs she knew about. He wasn’t too sure which method had failed since there’d been a couple Times that a rubber’d been forgotten, but he _did_ know one thing. Whether he’d been planned or a happy accident, their son was yet another reason for him to be grateful that he was still alive, especially after the last couple Years.

Bobby shoved Thoughts of the band that’d gotten him to where he was in Life, but also nearly been the Death of him to the back of his mind. The last thing he needed was even Thoughts of those lovable, Insanity-inducing idiots putting him in a bad mood. He’d never hear the End of it before he was run out to the Tree house for the Night, and he knew it.

“Good Morn, love,” the young Witch he’d married chuckled as he walked into the living room.

“That it is, sweetheart,” he agreed, leaning down to give her a kiss before settling at the breakfast nook table. “I’m still alive to enjoy it, and that’s what mattersta me.”

“You’d better be, or I’m raising your arse so I can kick it thirteen Times over,” Marissa warned him. “’Cuz that ain’t the kinda call I ever wanna get from Howie again.”

The bassist winced, looking sheepish as he recalled what she was talking about. “Trust me, lesson learned. Waking up in the hospital after narrowly surviving alcohol poisoning isn’t something I ever care to repeat.”

“At least there’s that,” Richie sighed, shooting him a smile. “She’s a tough one to hold back when she’s Intent on kicking an arse for stupidity.”

None of them could help a laugh since they knew it was true.

“In all seriousness, though, I didn’t do that Intentionally,” Bobby said, taking his son when he reached for him. “You’ve no idea how insane and stressful a tour can be, and how quick it’ll drive a man to do things he normally wouldn’t just to relax.”

“We know, love,” his wife said, covering his hand with hers so the wedding set he’d long since bought her glittered in the Light of the chandelier over their heads. “But you've far more to live for than ya ever did before.”

“That’s exactly why I haven’t talked to even Rikki since that disastrous Night last month,” he admitted. “He and Bret might not–or at least think they don’t–but I need the break.”

“Didn’tcha say y’all’d pretty much been constantly on the go since 1986?” the younger brunette asked.

“Before then, honestly,” Bobby sighed. “We started Poison in 1982 right around my nineteenth birthday.”

“Really?” The young Witch’s eyes widened in surprise.

“We moved out to California as a means of forcing ourselvesta work hard enough to make it right around Bret’s twentieth birthday a few months later,” he answered, nodding.

Even Richie couldn’t blame him for ignoring the blondes he’d Time Traveled with after the disastrous show that’d left the band fractured. That’d been the culmination of too many Years together without enough Time spent apart just relaxing. Add in all the drugs and alcohol they’d gone through collectively, and it was no Wonder he needed this break.

Once again, all Thoughts of said band were put in the backs of their minds as they enjoyed breakfast together. Zep was particularly delighted like only an infant could be, which brought smilesta the adults’ faces. There was nothing like having a baby to love and laugh at as much as with, and they’d never deny that. Hell, this lil guy was quite a bit of the reason he’d not only managed to record a third album with his band, but pushed through the accompanying tour till everything just fell apart. It was this lil guy–and having moved back across the country to his home State–that made Bobby enjoy Life far more.

Sitting at the edge of the shallow splash zone under the pergola-fall after breakfast, he grinned as he kept watch over his son. Bobby couldn’t help a laugh as he squealed and giggled every Time one of the gurglers got him in the face after he’d uncover it again. The sight was simply too precious, and it made him all the more glad that he’d survived his own stupidity and was still here to enjoy it.

Marissa watched from the chaise lounge that was part of their patio set with an adoring smile of her own. She’d admit that she considered both of them a bit young to be parents yet, but she loved being a wife and mother. There wasn’t anything on the Planet that could convince her to fry her husband and his friends when they first met, if she could get a do-over of that Day. Nothing easily-won was ever worth it or cherished nearly as much, and she considered this one of those things.

As Bobby and Richie soon took turns taking the baby on a couple laps around the lazy River since he was too young for the Water slide that was part of the rock pile meant to mimic a Waterfall, she got the feeling something big was on the horizon. Something told her that the band was gonna make a comeback sooner than they expected, but she wasn’t about to mention it. Eventually, the Time’d come for said band to know about such Universal plans, and she was gonna be a typical possessive wife in the meantime. After all, they’d spent enough Time apart during their most recent tour, despite the fact that she’d been pregnant through it.

However, the next two Years were gonna be just as much a trial–both for the band and the young family–as the last two Years, maybe more so.


	2. Two

After spending his second wedding anniversary cooped up in the house due to very mild passing Tropical Storm, Bobby finally got his chanceta get outta the house. Since it was earlier than his wife or would-be brother-in-law liked getting up, now that they didn’t wake to the crowing of a Rooster, he was the one to deal with Zep. His son tended to be an early riser like himself, much to his poor mama’s annoyance most Days, which was what’d gotten him strapped into his stroller this Morn.

The ten-month-old loved getting to spend Time with his daddy, and he seemed to love getting to explore the World around him just as much. It was for that reason–and the fact that no one else was up yet–that said daddy took him out on his Morn jog with him. Not only that, but taking the baby with him was the only reason he left the house armed with a pistol that was secured in a side holster more or less tucked into his armpit.

Pausing a couple miles from his home, the bassist panted softly as he squatted down to reach into the basket of the stroller he’d been pushing. The way he saw it, if it was Time he rehydrated a bit before turning around to head back home, his son was prolly thirsty, too. And he was proven right in that assumption by the baby eagerly taking the bottle he handed him with a squeal and popping its nipple into his mouth. Happy humming drifted around said piece of rubber as he suckled, quickly draining half the watered-down juice.

“Chu done now, lil man?” Bobby asked with a chuckle as he squatted down again.

The baby held out the half-finished bottle, the look on his face saying he didn’t want anymore right now.

“All right,” he chuckled, putting its lid back on and stowing it back in the basket. “Lesh get back home afore Mama turns into a worry-wart again.”

Zep giggled at the Thought as he turned the stroller back in the Direction of home.

“Chu’s a punk,” the bassist told him as he took off at a jog. “Chu has too much fun wiff making Mama and Daddy boff worry for silly reasons.”

He merely giggled again, a devious note coloring his voice this Time.

“Uncle Richie, too, for that matter,” Bobby said, a hair breathless from jogging.

It’d been two Years since he was somewhat forced to quit smoking when he’d Time Traveled, but the damage’d long since been done. Even now, he could get breathless a lil quicker than others, despite his relatively high fitness level and active Lifestyle. Not only that, but he tended to get some nasty bronchitis every Time he caught even a mild cold, much like what usually happened to Rikki.

Thinking about the drummer of his band and keeping watch for anything that’d make him draw his weapon kept him from focusing on his breathlessness, though. Hell, it kept him from focusing on the burning in the muscles of his legs, which woulda made him wanna stop again. Unfortunately, it did absolutely nothing to ease the ache in his heart that’d been caused by said band pretty much falling apart a lil over a month ago when they’d played on the MTV _Video Music Awards_.

Jogging up the brick driveway that opened into what was essentially a traffic Circle that ringed the front Fountain, the bassist couldn’t help a frown. Nearly a decade of blood, sweat, tears, and so much more’d pretty much gone down the shitter in seconds. He’d seen it coming for months, but he’d hoped that it wouldn’t come to an End quite so violently.

Unlocking the front door once he’d jogged up under the portico that extended nearly to the aforementioned Fountain, Bobby wasn’t expecting what he walked in to find. Sitting on the couch of the formal living room that the foyer opened into were three familiar faces that he hadn’t expected to see for a long while to come. He bit back a groan as he squatted down to unbuckle Zep, already getting a good idea of why these faces’d be in his Florida home instead of out in California. It didn’t take a rocket scientist to figure it out, after all–just a living being with more than two functioning neurons.

“I’ll take care of changing him,” Richie said, yawning as he took his son from him. “I’m not getting back to sleep anytime soon, and I’m sure ya could stand a shower.”

“Yeah, or I’ma be pretty ripe with a quickness,” the bassist chuckled. “You’ve figured out how hot Florida can get in the last couple Years.”

“Just as bad as Tennessee in the Summer,” he laughed. “Only thing Florida’s going for it’s the warmer Winters and constant Sea Breezes.”

“Hey, I can’t help that there was a Gator in the bushes that was calling my name!” Bobby told him, unable to help a grin.

“Yeah, yeah, yeah,” the younger brunette chuckled, looking down at the baby snuggled against his chest. “Tell Daddy to go wash him ’tinky butt afore Mama beans him again.”

Zep giggled as he fanned his lil nose.

“Chu ’tinky, too, chu punk,” he laughed, even as he turned for the master suite. “Chu done lefted Uncle Richie a present again.”

“Oh, dear Gods!” Richie cackled as he grabbed the stroller handle with his free hand. “Not again, chu rotten lil punk!”

“You’re the one who said you’d change him!” the bassist snickered.

“Put a sock in it and go shower already!” he retorted, his grin never fading as he turned for the nursery next door to his own room.

Chuckling softly, Bobby ignored the other half of his band and their manager as he ducked into the master suite. He simply wasn’t ready to talk to any of them, whether he was sweaty and smelled like an over-ripe gym bag or not. Besides, he didn’t wanna wake his wife, if she was still asleep since her temper could be worse than a Hurricane sometimes.

As it turned out, Marissa’d just woken up, if the sleepy look in her eyes as she stepped outta the Water closet that housed the toilet was anything to judge by. Shooting her a grin as he pulled off his tank top and side holster, he pulled her against him before she’d a chanceta escape. He couldn’t help a laugh at how she squealed and pushed at his chest upon catching a whiff of him, which just made him hug her tighter. Even though he knew he’d pay for it later, he needed the amusement–and maybe even some stress relief.

The bassist managed to convince her to strip, then pulled her into the shower that was open on either End and separated from the tub by a partial wall with him. If there was one thing he’d always loved doing, especially with her, it was showering with whatever partner he happened to have at any given Time. She knew that, and most of the Time, she was all too happy to join him with lil-to-no complaints.

After a longer shower than he was sure the blondes in his living room thought necessary that left him both clean and sated, Bobby stepped out to dry off with a goofy grin. The young Witch giggled at his expression as they both grabbed their towels, but her own expression wasn’t much different. To be quite honest, he’d swear she wore a grin that was just as goofy, maybe even more so, from their romp. Course, what mattered to him was that she was safe, happy, healthy, and never left their bed–or wherever they happened to go at it–dissatisfied in the slightest.

“Damn, I think we missed the party,” Rikki chuckled as they finally joined the others.

“Yeah, right,” the bassist snorted as he moved to start breakfast. “That’s _one_ party y’all were never invited to in the first place.”

“Aww, nuts,” he said, grinning as he played with Zep in the family room floor.

“At least you’ve it outta your system–for now,” Bret chuckled.

_“For now_ being the key words,” he retorted as Richie yanked his wife down onto the couch next to him since she was still a lil unsteady. “’Cuz I’m never gonna get enough of this lil she-devil I married.”

“She’s as much like a drug as the band is, huh?” the drummer asked.

“Sometimes more so,” Bobby answered.

“Speaking of said band…” Howie was the one to finally even remotely mention why they were out East.

“Look, I dunno about y’all, but I’ve needed this break,” the bassist said, pointing at them with the spatula he held.

“After what I’m still calling the second _Every Rose_ Night, I’m not surprised,” he admitted.

“What’re ya talking about, Howie?” the front man asked, looking confused.

“Remember that Morn everybody woke up, and Bobby and I were gone?” Howie countered.

“Uh, yeah,” he said. “Kinda hard _not_ to remember since his tech’d to fill in for him that Night.”

“I was in the hospital recovering from acute alcohol poisoning that I barely survived in the first place,” Bobby told them. “Trust me, wasn’t fun to wake up feeling like utter shit, no memory of what happened with tubes and wires everywhere and the flavor of charcoal in my mouth.”

Both blondes gaped in shock since they’d never been told what’d happened.

“Aside from not liking that, I swore I wasn’t gonna terrify Marissa like that again, nor possibly leave Zep fatherless due to stupidity,” he continued.

Said wife managed to get up and join him, despite her friend’s best efforts. “I’ll kick your arse myself, if ya scare a decade off my Life like that again.”

“Not like I’d stop ya since I’d more than deserve it, sweetheart,” the bassist chuckled.

“Got that right,” Marissa said. “I didn’t come to the twentieth Century to be widowed and left a single mother or forced into another marriage so Zep’d have a daddy.”

Bret and Rikki both winced as they started to realize just why the lone brunette of their band had seemingly–well, quit the band. They both knew that he’d pretty much been forced into quitting smoking and drinking two Years ago. However, unlike the two of them, he hadn’t started back at either one of his old vices–till they were somewhat forced into the studio to record what was now _Flesh and Blood_.

If he’d been under half as much stress as they’d thought during that Time and the tour that followed, it was no Wonder he’d at least started drinking again. Being around all that Temptation wouldn’t have done anything to help him fight that dirty urge and maintain his sudden sobriety, after all.

As well as they both knew the bassist, though, he’d prolly actually been under twice as much stress as he’d eluded to. Not only was he still technically a newlywed when they’d gotten back into the studio, but he’d quickly fathered his son afterward. It was a given that he’d missed out on quite a bit by having to be on the road during pretty much the entirety of Marissa’s pregnancy. The fact that he’d have missed the Birth, if they hadn’t come home for a Christmas break only added to that. He was no doubt still more than a lil irked at that, whether he ever admitted it aloud or not.

Considering that this’d also been his first tour since getting married only added to any negative Emotions plaguing Bobby. He couldn’t just run around like a big-dicked heathen and fuck anything that walked on two legs and drew breath. Well, technically he coulda, but he wouldn’t have been a very good husband, especially with a pregnant wife back home. And the sexual frustration couldn’t have helped how much he drank for over a Year, either.

“It’s not that I’d quit the band, or ever Intended to,” he sighed as he and Marissa started serving breakfast. “I just needed more of a break before the choice got taken outta my hands.”

“Hey, we get it, dude,” the drummer told him, giving the shorter blonde a sharp look when he made to protest. “We’re not all single workaholics like you, Bret.”

“I’m not a workaholic!” Bret protested.

“Yeah, ya are,” the younger brunette said, passing out full coffee mugs. “You’ve drive and Dedication just like the others, which’s admirable–but more oft than not, ya take those thingsta an obsessive level.”

His face turned pink as even their manager nodded his agreement.

“I get that Music’s a Creative outlet–it’s been the same for me since before all the Time Travel,” Richie continued as they settled to dig in. “But I don’t let it take precedence over all, especially if one of my family members needs me.”

“Kinda like when Marissa was pregnant, and I was either in the studio or on the road,” the bassist chuckled. “I got home one Time to find them in bed together, and I didn’t bother raising Immortal hell over it.”

“It was early in my pregnancy, so I wasn’t feeling good,” she said with a grin. “Cuddling at least helped me sleep, and he knew Richie’d have to force himself on me to go any further than that.”

“Not that I’d survive, if I did,” the younger brunette dead-panned. “I wouldn’t have to worry about Bobby, ’cuz Marissa’d kill me before he ever Returned.”

“Nah, I’d wait till he did so he could watch and enjoy the show,” Marissa laughed.

Everybody cracked up as she grinned after making that particular declaration, which sounded all too much like something she’d do. Lil Zep giggled hysterically simply ’cuz everyone else was laughing, not ’cuz he understood what they were laughing at. It only added to the adults’ amusement, which was a good thing, given what they still needed to discuss.

After the dishes’d been loaded into the dishwasher, everybody moved out to the patio and poolside. It was too pretty a Day to spend it inside, now that the Tropical Storm’d passed, and the baby loved getting his splash Time. Considering that Bobby was almost always the one to supervise said splash Time, they were forced to join him outside or wait. They choseta join him, though, ’cuz this was something that simply couldn’t wait, no matter how much they wanted to.

The bassist groaned as he settled on the edge of the splash zone, his feet in the ankle-deep Water between gurglers. He wasn’t surprised that their record deal was being threatened, if they didn’t either replace CC or get shit worked out with him, and soon. It was the typical intimidation tactic record labels used to keep signed bands on a constant figurative Hamster wheel of production.

Looking up at the remaining half of his band, he said they could start looking for the next lead guitarist to complete their lineup. Whether the others did or not, he refused to work with the shortest blonde again till he got cleaned up and his act together. However, he could tell that the cracker jack guitarist’d no plans of getting cleaned up anytime soon. That meant he was unwilling to work with him since he Intended to maintain his sobriety one way or another. Knowing Bret refused to work with him due to the cocaine-induced psychosis and fistfights only made him that much more stubborn stubborn on the matter, just like a true fixed Zodiac sign.

Considering they knew him well enough to know that was the best compromise they were gonna get outta him, Bret and Rikki didn’t bother trying to argue with him. Not even Howie bothered trying to argue with the older brunette since he knew he could always rip the band to shreds even more. After all, he damn well coulda quit on the spot and used the money he’d made over the last few Yearsta pursue a different Dream of his. His at least being willing to give it one more shot before just calling it quits spoke volumes. They just had to make sure they didn’t squander this chance, ’cuz it could very well be their last.


	3. Three

Since the guys’d never worked through the holidays and they were swiftly approaching, Bret and Rikki didn’t bother trying to convince their final band mate to now. In all Honesty, they were enjoying the unexpected break as much as he was, even though they’d never admit it. That was the very reason they remained in Florida, despite Howie’s insistence that they Return to California with him when he went.

Both blondes were at least intelligent enough to admit that Marissa’d a point with something she said during her son’s nap that first afternoon. They might know each other as men better than a lotta folks, but not in a way that was intimate enough. Even her husband had choked on his own spit at that, her friend trying and failing to bite back laughter.

Richie explained that she didn’t mean intimate in the sense of fuckin’ each other like they were lovers. What she meant was that they didn’t know each other well enough for being such supposedly close friends when it came to their off-Time. Bret enjoyed sports, but what other interests did he hold behind closed doors that didn’t involve Music? Surely, there were things the drummer enjoyed, or at least wanted to take a stab at that didn’t revolve around Music, but what were those things? And could either of them Begin to explain why the lone brunette loved cooking as much as he did when he was home?

Neither of them could answer any of those questions any more than Bobby could answer those about his friends. Well, he _could_ say that the shorter blonde enjoyed pretty much anything on two wheels with a motor. Course, he could definitively say that ’cuz they were all bikers that enjoyed their Harleys and other motorcycles. If not for that reason, he wouldn’t have been able to give that much of an answer, and that was just one part that didn’t sit well with him.

“Okay, I can see how that’d be getting to know each other in a more intimate sense,” Rikki admitted.

“Not necessarily sexual, but…” The shorter blonde paused thoughtfully. “Yeah, I can’t really come up with a better word than _intimate,_ either.”

“Personally, I think this is something that’s been long in coming,” Marissa told them. “It mighta started when y’all Time Traveled, but y’all didn’t get enough Time before we all came back to the Future.”

“Yeah, three months isn’t really enough Time to get those kinda answers when you’re busting your ass Day in and Day out,” the drummer agreed.

“Or getting your dick wet with your hostess,” Bret chuckled.

“Don’t make me relegatecha to the _cabaña_ as accommodations,” Bobby warned him as he flung a throw pillow in his Direction.

“As long as one of those notorious Tropical Storms or Hurricanes don’t come through, I can deal with it,” he retorted with a grin.

“You’re cruising for a bruising before I hide your body in the Pond, Michaels,” the bassist said, his smirk belying any true malice.

“Admit it, asshole–ya know ya love me,” Bret laughed. “Him, too, for that matter.”

“Just ’cuz I _have_ an asshole doesn’t mean I _am_ one,” he chuckled, still smirking. “Same goes for calling me a dick, too.”

“Hey, if ya act like one…” The drummer trailed off, laughing as that got a throw pillow flung in his Direction, too.

“Quit pushing my buttons and making me wanna go hide in the master suite with my wife!” Bobby told them.

Neither could help erupting into laughter as said young Witch gently beaned the back of his head and said he’d do no such thing. The Witchling they currently had wasn’t yet a Year old, and he most certainly _was_ a handful and a-half. It was simply too soon for her to wanna take chances with spawning another one than they already took.

Laughing as he pulled her down into his lap, the bassist admitted that she’d a very valid point with that. Even now, they weren’t sure which method they’d been using had failed and resulted in their surprise son. Since she’d researched the Birth Control he’d mentioned and refused to go on it, there was only so much rubbers could do to help them. Continuing to nurse Zep’d help with that endeavor, but it wasn’t a permanent way to prevent pregnancy any more than those herbs or any other method.

Marissa soon heard the baby in question stirring in his nursery, which was practically next door to his Uncle Richie’s room. Since she was never one to ignore her son and they’d to follow her advice, she gently extricated herself and got up. It might take Time for those who still remained of Poison to get to know each other on that more intimate level, but there was no reason it couldn’t start now.

By the Time _Yule_ and Christmas rolled around, the remainder of Poison’d gotten to know each other better. The blondes’d come to learn that the reason why Bobby didn’t mind his son being referred to as a Witchling was ’cuz he’d quietly converted to Paganism. He was by no means as experienced as even the younger brunette, but he was a very quick learner. He wouldn’t have tried to stop his wife from teaching their son about her Spirituality, even if he hadn’t converted, but since he _had_ –well, the term _Witchling_ made sense.

Just as they’d learned that about him, the bassist’d learned new things about his remaining band mates. Bret’d been into sports so much ’cuz the physical activity helped with keeping his blood sugar leveled out. With the spell that’d been cast on him during their Time Travel and was still working, he simply enjoyed the activity.

As much as they enjoyed cooking and sports, Rikki enjoyed drawing comics and martial Arts. He felt he needed the Discipline offered by the latter, but he hadn’t yet settled on a particular type of martial Art. Was he more into _karate,_ or did he wanna go for something that was more for show like _tae kwon do_ tended to be? For that matter, maybe he should go with something that offered Discipline, but allowed him to kick some serious ass.

“Yeah, I can see why you’d wanna go with something that was Balanced like that,” Bobby mused. “That’s one of the integral parts of Paganism, actually.”

“Wait, seriously?” the drummer asked, those aqua eyes widening as they sat on the foot of his bed and watched him open the top drawer of his dresser at its foot.

“Light and Dark, good and evil, male and female,” he chuckled. “It all Balances out in the End, even when it doesn’t seem like it.”

“Ya know, you’ve a solid point,” Bret mused as he pulled out what was obviously some kinda lock box.

“Which’s exactly why Marissa never actually tried to convert me by force,” the bassist said, surprising them when he pulled out his pistol and its mag. “With Light comes Shadow, with the good comes evil. And whether two Deities of the same gender or one of each, I’d like to think the Creation of the entire Universe’d take more than one being.”

“When ya think about it like that, I’m half-ready to convert,” Rikki chuckled as he slammed that mag into its well. “But what’s with the gun? Ya never used to pack in the Past.”

“Yeah, and I didn’t used to take a baby out on my jogs with me, either,” Bobby retorted as he got his side holster settled before pulling his tank top on.

Even the front man laughed as he admitted that he’d a fair point, as well as this explained why he’d picked a tank top that almost didn’t have arm holes. While he may or may not want anyone knowing he was packing, it’d certainly allow easier accessta his weapon, if he needed it.

Once he was dressed and had gotten his sneakers on since he’d already braided his hair, Bobby headed outta the master suite. He didn’t particularly care if these lovable idiots joined him on his jog, but they weren’t staying in his bedroom, if they didn’t. To that End, he made them clear out before pulling the doors closed behind them, then heading out to the main part of the house. Luckily, neither blonde tried to argue the point since they respected their friend and the rules he laid down for his private Space.

In the living room, Zep whined as he reached out for him from where he sat in his high chair. Apparently, he recognized his daddy’s chosen attire and didn’t wanna be left behind when he left this Morn. He’d no worry of that happening, though, ’cuz once he’d grabbed a small snack since he never jogged on a full stomach, he’d be getting him settled in his stroller.

“Cool chu jets, chu booger,” Bobby chuckled as he grabbed an Apple. “Daddy’s _nuuuu_ leaving chu behind.”

The baby squealed happily and seemed to attempt clapping clumsily.

“Seems like he likes that idea,” the drummer said with a chuckle of his own as he tied his hair back.

“Pretty much his only way to get outta the house and go on an adventure,” he laughed as he raised that Apple.

“I’d be just as happy, if that were the case for me,” Bret admitted.

“My point exactly,” the bassist said after swallowing what he’d been chewing. “Now, shut up and grab an Apple or something, ’cuz I’m not listening to anyone but Zep whine about being hungry once we leave, if you’re going with me.”

“Why not?” This was asked by the taller blonde. “I could stand a good run since I doubt I’ma get a good fight, even playful.”

“No beating of my husband unless I’m the one beating him,” Marissa chuckled as she rose from feeding their son.

“See? My point exactly,” he chuckled.

It wasn’t long before Bobby was strapping his son into his stroller, the boy dressed for the warm, South Florida Weather. The lil guy squealed happily as this was done, his daddy chuckling and pressing a kissta his forehead before rising. Once he was strapped in, said daddy leaned down to give his mama a quick kiss, which made him flip off his friends when they mock gagged.

The bassist wheeled the stroller toward the front door after straightening, his free hand reaching up to pull his shades down. Bret and Rikki were both quick to follow his lead, although they were both shirtless as they quite literally followed him. Neither were quite sure where they’d wind up going, but they trusted him since he knew the area better.

At the End of his driveway, he picked a Direction and took off, not really caring where they wound up. He wasn’t planning on going more than a couple miles, if only to reduce Zep’s chances of getting sunburnt on even his big toe. Still, he took care to make sure the drummer and front man were able to keep up since the last thing he wanted was for them to get lost and into trouble. If he weren’t the one who’d have to get them outta trouble, he’d let them have at it, but he’d enough to be responsible for.

* * *

“Okay, that was definitely a stiffer run than I was expecting!”

Bobby laughed breathlessly as he and the other half of his band entered the foyer, his son giggling in his stroller. It’d been easily an hour or two since they’d taken off, and he’d to’ve led them at least two miles from the house before turning back. He supposed that if there was anything he was thankful for, it was that he hadn’t been given reason to draw his weapon while they were gone.

“I coulda gone longer than that, honestly,” he chuckled as he squatted down. “But I don’t ever stay gone as long as I could when I take Zep with me.”

“Yeah, can’t have the lil man turn into a Lobster, can we?” Bret asked with a chuckle.

“No more than we can have his tush turning red from needing a diaper change again,” the bassist agreed.

“Then give him here,” Marissa said, appearing with her hands outstretched. “I’ll deal with that while you’re grabbing a shower.”

“Aww, no Love for your man?” he mock pouted.

“Not till ya don’t stink like a Chicken coop on a hot Summer’s Day!” the young Witch laughed.

“Fine,” Bobby chuckled. “’Cuz whether alone or with company, a cold shower sounds good right about now.”

“Off with ya, ya Silver-tongued bastard!” she told him, sending him off to the master suite with a smack to his rump.

Laughing along with her, the bassist headed off to grab that shower so she wouldn’t try to bean him with something. After all, he’d only that Apple before the group’d left for their jog, so he wanted to get food soon. He was sure Bret and Rikki’d agree with that sentiment wholeheartedly, but they were already off to grab showers of their own.

Following those showers when they were all grouped between the kitchen, family room, and breakfast nook, there was businessta discuss. During the Time they’d been getting to know each other more as men, they’d been discussing replacement guitarists off and on. They’d eventually talked Richie into at least auditioning, if nothing else, so they could show they were at least scouting talent. He’d a breed of talent that simply couldn’t be replicated, and they all thought it could blend well with their own styles.

It’d taken some Time, but they’d eventually convinced him to audition, which’d taken an expected turn. One of the label executives’d heard the mock audition and basically laid down an ultimatum–hire the guy with them, or get dropped. All of them thought that was a pretty shitty thing for him to say, and they’d made that quite clear. Not only that, but they’d made it clear that they were leaving that choice up to the younger brunette.

Since Richie’d ultimately decided that he’d at least try jamming with them and see if it turned into something more. However, like the remaining members of the band, he refused to seriously work on anything during the holiday Season. Now, what they all wanted to discuss was whether he was still willing to do such a thing, or if he’d Changed his mind. Even Rikki warned him that being in a band wasn’t easy, and that it went far beyond the Music. He’d to be ready to put his face out there as part of the promotional shots, his voice as part of interviews alongside any backing vocals he laid down. And that wasn’t even including Beginning to think about a tour since that was an even longer way off.

Bobby couldn’t help a grin as he and the blondes settled at the bar on the back side of the counter from the kitchen sink. The younger brunette assured them that even though he was definitely nervous, he hadn’t Changed his mind. He’d given his word to at least see how jamming worked out, and he’d as soon let Marissa turn him into a sacrifice as rescind his word. All of them winced at such a Thought, but it was enough to prove his Sincerity since they were pretty sure he didn’t actually wanna die. Now, the question remained as to whether this’d work out, or if Poison’d gotten their lethal dose, so to speak.


	4. Four

“I’m still amazed by all this newfangled technology, even after two Years of getting used to it.”

Bobby couldn’t help a laugh any more than the younger brunette, who was settled in the back seat of his car next to Zep’s car seat. When compared to 1839, there was a lot more shit to learn about and try to even remotely understand. It’d take a while for the pair to get it all down, especially considering that technology also Changed quickly, but they were doing pretty good for having lived in the twentieth Century for only two Years.

“You’re both doing better than I thoughtcha would when ya first insisted on coming back with me,” he said in responseta his wife’s comment as he grabbed her hand.

“It’s definitely been a lot to take in,” Richie mused. “I just hope I don’t seem too much like an alien, if this jamming works out and turns into far more.”

“Kinda already got a story cooked up for that one,” the bassist chuckled.

“And what story’s that, love?” Marissa asked curiously, looking at him from the passenger’s seat.

“Well, not many do it anymore, but there’s some folks who live off-grid,” Bobby explained. “In Essence, they live the same kinda Lifestyle as ya did in the nineteenth Century, just by choice instead of it being the only way.”

“Huh.” She cocked her head curiously.

“As long as he keeps up his studies on things like the politics and social Justice parts, we can just say he was one of those off-grid homesteaders that’s still getting used to living a more Modern Life,” the bassist told them.

“It really wouldn’t be that far from the Truth, either,” Richie agreed. “Like ya just pointed out, only acting clueless on something like politics’d gimme away.”

“We can work on that more later, though,” he chuckled, taking his hand back so he could down-shift as he slowed to make a turn.

“So, we’re finally gonna get that surprise, huh?” Marissa asked.

Bobby simply smirked as he started down an obvious gravel driveway, said gravel crunching under his tires. Their son looked around curiously, his mouth working at his paci as he tried to get a better look out the window next to him. Even his surrogate uncle refused to say a word as they made their way down the Tree-lined driveway.

The young Witch’s breath caught as advancing down that driveway allowed her to pick up on a certain Energy she hadn’t felt in what seemed like ten Lifetimes. It was the Curse she’d once lain on the Land to keep out the disrespectful and those who meant her harm. She even felt the added Power that’d come from her friend, who’d helped her lay down the Curse so even the God had representation. Given that, there was no mistaking where she was, ’cuz she was finally back home, the place where she belonged.

Emerging into a clearing, she realized that one thing’d Changed more drastically than it hadn’t, and she wasn’t sure if she liked this Change. Gone was the lil cabin she’d once called home and hosted three-quarters of Poison in, even though she knew this was her old Land. But standing in its place was a much newer home that looked just as big as where they lived in Florida, although far more quaint.

Unlike their Florida home, the front entry wasn’t quite as open and certainly didn’t have a Fountain before it, but it still looked similar. Another difference was that this house seemed to be made of white brick and stacked gray Stone, rather than any Color stucco. It was certainly more befitting a home hidden in the Hills of Tenn, which brought a smile to her face as she felt the car stop. Still, she couldn’t help wondering why her husband had brought her here as he opened his door and stepped out, a pained groan rumbling up from his throat as he stretched before leaning into the back seat.

“How’dja manage to find this place?” the young Witch asked.

“Being a stubborn bastard’s its benefits,” Bobby chuckled, straightening with their son snuggled against his chest. “Course, so does having a lil help.”

“Thank me again, and I’ll spell your cock off,” Richie warned him as he popped the trunk.

“I wasn’t gonna,” he defended himself with a laugh. “I’m rather attached to that part of my anatomy, and it’s rather attached to me.”

“Wait, what? Y’all’ve me completely confused,” Marissa said.

“Then c’mon, sweetheart,” the bassist told her, grinning as he flipped through his keys.

“I’ll be in shortly,” her friend said. “And don’t try to fight me on helping with our bags–just show those two around.”

“Sounds like a plan to me,” Bobby agreed, heading up to the front door.

Unlocking said double doors, he led his surprised wife into the house, still grinning as her jaw dropped. Zep’s lil jaw dropping so the paci clipped to his shirt dropped outta his mouth just made laughter join that grin. Still, he let them look around, starting with a dining room that could also be used as a parlor immediately to their right.

To their left was the opening of the hall that led to three of the five bedrooms this house sported. On the front side of the house, there was a decent-sized bedroom with its own en suite bathroom, easily big enough for a Queen-size bed. At the other End of the hall was technically the fourth bedroom, the third essentially on the side of the house behind the second bedroom’s bathroom. Each of the other bedrooms’d their own closets and sinks, but they shared a toilet and shower in a _Jack-and-Jill_ style.

_“OhmiGoddess.”_ Marissa’s eyes widened as she took in the sight that met her in the second bedroom.

“I kinda figured you’d like it as much as he would,” the bassist chuckled, gently patting their son’s diapered rump.

Zep squealed happily and clapped as he looked around and took in the Wild West-themed crib bedding and _décor_.

“It’s certainly befitting of a lil boy,” she admitted.

“I was kinda going by Mama’s Love of Horses that she’s no doubt to pass on to her baby boy,” Bobby said. “Seemed befitting as opposed to something Beach or Jungle-themed without going overboard on the Woodland theme.”

“Fair enough,” Marissa agreed with a chuckle of her own. “Am I to assume this means this house’s actually ours?”

“Well, ya won’t be wrong in such an assumption,” he told her.

Taking her hand and leading her back out to the foyer, the bassist explained the surprise he’d decided to use as a _Yule_ present. He’d known since shortly after Returning to the twentieth Century how she’d give damn near anything to go back to her home in the Mountains of Tenn. It wasn’t unlike his own desire to Return to his own home State for at least similar, if not identical reasons.

Finding the exact piece of property she’d owned and lived on in the nineteenth Century was the tricky part. Bobby’d known the name of the nearby Town in that Century was Tellico, but he’d known it may or may not exist now. It turned out that the Town that’d once shunned her’d been renamed Tellico Plains and grown quite a bit, but was still relatively small. When compared to a City like Miami or Los Angeles, it was still barely a dot on the map, even though it’d grown.

Once he’d found the Town, he’d gotten Richie’s help in pouring through the real estate listings of the area, even outside the heart of Tellico Plains. There was one that’d quickly stood out to him, and for good reason aside from the fact that it was said to sport its own private Waterfall.

Local legend said that the Land was Cursed in at least one way, but possibly more than that. Gardens simply wouldn’t grow, and it seemed that everyone who’d tried living here since a certain Year quickly left. Some swore the Land was haunted–by Ghosts and demons alike–others swearing they left due to the barren soil, or for some other reason. Many didn’t know what to call the activity, but a few’d given it a name–the _Braxton Witch_. That name was derived from the menacing Energy that emanated from the small cabin still standing on the property, which included evil-sounding cackling.

“Cabin?” Marissa asked, her brows rising in surprise.

“Just look for yourself, sweetheart,” he answered with a chuckle, leading her out to the screened-in part of the back deck.

_“OhmiGoddess!”_ the young Witch cried, her hands rising to cover her now-gaping mouth as she took in the sight.

“It’s rundown and unfit to even be a kid’s playhouse–honestly, it’s better off being torn down and rebuilt,” Bobby said. “But it was your home, and I felt it oughta be _your_ choice.”

She didn’t say a word, just let out an ecstatic sob as she pulled him down for a kiss at the same moment Richie joined them.

“Merry _Yule,_ sweetheart,” the bassist murmured, pressing their foreheads together after their lips’d separated. “Ya deserve this and so much more, just for putting up with me.”

Later that Eve, the small family was gathered around the fireplace of stacked Stone that reached the top of the living room’s vaulted ceiling. It was kinda like a throwback to all the Nights spent gathered on the front porch of the dilapidated cabin out back in the Summer of 1839. They were all Calm and quiet, the baby already snoozing against his mother’s bosom while his father snuggled them both. Not even Richie’s slight, but continued Jealousy could ruin the moment as the Fire crackled and flickered before them.

A soft sigh drifted past Marissa’s lips, a smile curving them as she readjusted her head on her husband’s shoulder. This man’d done everything he could short of selling his Soul and sacrificing himself for her. Even when he was desperate to get laid and committing rape coulda been somewhat justifiable in the eyes of some, he’d put her first.

Now, he’d put a metric fuck-ton of effort into even finding the property the young Witch’d once owned. As if that wasn’t enough, he’d painstakingly designed what he called their _Hurricane Hideaway_ to fit even her would-be brother’s needs. He’d also sworn to rip apart any of the construction crew who dared try to remove even a single nail from her former home before this surprise could be given to her. Not ’cuz he’d wanted to upset her with the forlorn sight of the cabin, but to show her how well it’d withstood the test of Time in an altered course of history.

Besides, Bobby’d a point in saying that due to it being her former home, she should be the one to ultimately decide what happened to it. She could draw out what she remembered of the basic floor plan, and it could be rebuilt into a playhouse or even a pool house for a Future pool. It could even be torn down and _not_ rebuilt, any salvageable lumber being incorporated into small household projects as a tribute.

“I’m still not too sure what I wanna do with the cabin,” Marissa sighed.

“Never saidja _had_ to decide right now,” the bassist chuckled.

“Too cold to really wanna do much of anything with it, if it doesn’t fall on its own,” Richie pointed out.

“Yeah, it’d prolly be a better Summer project,” she agreed. “I just can’t help but feel like this house’s too far from the River to be on my old Land, though.”

“Technically straddles yours and what belonged to Mom and Dad,” the younger brunette told her with a chuckle of his own.

“According to the deed for this place, the Kotzens bought the adjacent property when their neighbor suddenly went missing in the Autumn of 1839,” Bobby explained, unable to help his grin.

The young Witch’s eyes widened as she quickly figured out what’d really happened.

“That was the story even Dana told till their dying breaths,” he said.

“They knew that in Traveling to the Future, I might eventually be able to reclaim it,” Marissa breathed.

“But the only real way to save it from the townsfolk wasta tie it to their own Lands,” her friend told her, nodding. “My helping with the Protection spell many still call a Curse allowed ’em an easier Time of doing that without suffering the negative effects, themselves.”

“Wait, what?” Now it was the bassist’s turn to look surprised.

“The Balance, love,” she chuckled. “I represented the Goddess in that spell, Richie represented the God.”

_“Ahhhh,_ I gotcha.” Bobby nodded as he shifted slightly since his ass was starting to go numb.

“But since we Invoked the Morrígan for Protection–well, to any who tried anything unsavory or was otherwise unwelcome, it’d seem like a Curse,” the young Witch explained.

He couldn’t help a soft laugh as he noted that that explained why everyone who’d tried settling here after 1839 seemed to be Cursed and quickly run off the Land. Maybe there was something to the _Braxton Witch_ part of the local legend, just not as most perceived it. They coulda very well been hearing the Morrígan, herself cackling as she scared off and otherwise drove out those who weren’t welcome here. It was certainly a plausible explanation, but it was getting too late to ponder it at the moment.

Marissa grunted softly as she managed to push herself up from the couch, where she paused momentarily to let blood flow Return to her feet. Once she felt steady enough, she headed off to Zep’s new nursery to tuck him into his crib for the Night. It was something that both young parents enjoyed doing, no matter where they were physically.

Bobby joined her so they could tell their son good Night and Wish him sweet Dreams like he almost always did. The baby smiled and sighed around his paci in his sleep, his mother turning on his baby monitor as he was tucked in. He squirmed just enough to make himself comfy, his arms wrapped around his teddy bear, but otherwise didn’t move a muscle aside from breathing.

Richie informed them that he’d already locked up and armed the security system while they were preoccupied. It might be backwoods Tenn and not exactly prone to the crime rates of the City, but they still took no chances with their safety. For that reason, the couple smiled and thanked him as they headed past the dining room doorway into the kitchen. There, they parted ways so that the younger brunette headed up the staircase across from the double wall ovens, the couple into the back hall. All was quiet and peaceful, and they wanted to enjoy that feeling for as long as they could before all hell broke loose.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For anyone interested, here's a link to what I'm referring to as the _Hurricane Hideaway..._  
>  ~Firefly
> 
> Link to _Hurricane Hideaway_ –https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/12500-Limerick-Ln-Farragut-TN-37934/316793064_zpid/?

**Author's Note:**

> Okay, so here's several different links for those interested. I'll no doubt be going into more detail in Future chapters, so they'll be helpful later on. Just be warned that I'ma be fighting to write through the Birth Creature having a full week off instead of just the typical 3-Day weekend between going from Night shift to Days or vice versa, so updates'll prolly be slow.
> 
> The first link's to what I'm considering the Dall house for this story. I know it doesn't have a Tree house or anything similar–that comes from the second link just 'cuz I liked it. LOL!
> 
> Links three-through-five are what I used for the pool area. The lazy River's supposed to encircle the actual pool and Waterfall the way it encircles the hot tub island in the actual pics. And the area under the _pergola-fall_ makes for a great lil splash zone for a baby as young as Zep's supposed to be. Just ignore _lazy River_ being in the link to the splash zone, but no mention of it being in the actual link to said lazy River.  
> ~Firefly
> 
> Link to Dall House–https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/13610-Deer-Creek-Dr-West-Palm-Beach-FL-33418/87661769_zpid/?
> 
> Link to Tree House Inspiration–https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/281-S-Atlantic-Ave-Cocoa-Beach-FL-32931/43437570_zpid/?
> 
> Link to Splash Zone–https://www.farleypooldesigns.com/colleyville-lazy-river
> 
> Link to Lazy River–https://www.farleypooldesigns.com/pool-projects
> 
> Link to Pool/Waterfall–https://www.farleypooldesigns.com/copy-of-flower-mound-estate


End file.
